Whether you are a Microsoft Windows user or you are fonder of using Mac operating systems, both of these are the most popular entities. They are also competitors and that might prove why you can’t open certain Mac OS files on Microsoft Windows OS that easily.
So, essentially while your PC might be running Windows, your other devices such as your laptop or smartphone might be using Apple OS. That means that transferring data from Mac or Windows can be a bit of a hassle. A good example of this can be in the form of .pkg files.
These are Mac files that, unfortunately, cannot be installed and viewed quite as easily as you can transfer them to your Microsoft Windows device via your MacBook for example. So that is where today’s article comes in! We will be telling you all there is to know about .pkg files and will tell you how you can install, extract and then view them!
What are PKG files and why can’t they open easily on Windows?
As we have mentioned earlier, pkg is a file format used exclusively on Apple Macintosh but they are essentially .xar archives that use another extension along with a defined file hierarchy. When it comes down to it, the reason why you can’t open .pkg files on Windows is probably that they are OS X Installer files.
So while this file format can be accessed on all Apple OS devices including the iPhone and even works for Sony PlayStation 3, it might be difficult to view them on Windows 10. However, the files inside a .pkg can be accessed and installed if you have the Apple Installer application.Know more about your location is currently in use windows 10.
To break it down further, the acronym .pkg essentially means Package and is indicative of a bunch of installation files. So, in case you need to install a program or software on your Windows device but it is in the .pkg format, it can get tricky.
In reality, while you can open the.PKG file in Windows, since it is written for Mac OS, it won’t install or launch in Windows. These can even be potentially dangerous for your Windows install! So to successfully install .pkg package on Windows, you will need some file utility software.
So, without further ado, let’s learn how to install pkg file on windows 10!
How to install PKG file on Windows 10?
1. Download Easy 7-Zip
Our first solution is to download and use Easy 7-Zip to install and extracts xar or pkg files on Windows. The Easy 7-Zip open-source file archiver is a very easy-to-use software and is also compatible with most Windows versions including Windows 10.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Your first step will be to click on your .pkg file to open it in Easy 7-Zip.
- Here, you will see files inside the .pkg file and you cans elect and choose which one you want to extract by selecting the Extract button.
- You can also simply right-click on your .pkg file using Windows Explorer
- After this, you can click on the option that reads, Extract files. Proceed to click on Extract Here, or you may choose a specific folder to extract the .pkg files and that’s it!
If you want another utility tool like this, we recommend you try this second option we have for you!
2. Use WinRAR
The last and final tool we have for you on how to install a .pkg file on Windows 10 is the WinRAR utility tool. This is one of the most popular resources used to compress and decompress files!
Using this software, you can access more than 100 various file formats. This includes .jar, .rar, .zip and of course .pkg as well. That’s not all! With WinRAR, you will also get to use the integrated text editor that will ensure you can easily edit information and also have access to editing some data in the file format.
With WinRAR, you can install and open .pkg files on your device at the same time due to its threading features. However, the real reason why WinRAR is so popular is due to it not being a demoing program and hence it won’t be a burden on your device. It is user-friendly and also supported by most versions of the Windows OS, including Windows.
Now that we have installed the .pkgs files using one of the methods listed above, you still need to learn how to extract the file to view it! Here’s what you will do!
How to extract .PKG files?
You will find that extracting your .pkg files is just as easy as the installation process was! Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Your first step will be to choose the File option visible in the Unarchiver menu. After this, you will press on the command option for Unarchive to Current Folder.
- The next step is to select the folder where your pkg document is stored. This is the place where you can extract the files as well.
- The next thing you will do is click on the .pkg document and choose it. This will create an option for Unarchive. Click on this and your .pkg file will be successfully extracted!
Now, you have the extracted file on hand, but you still need to learn how you can view this .pkg file and we’ve got you covered!
How to view PKG files on Windows?
If you want to know how you can view your .pkg files on Windows, then you need to follow these simple steps:
- You will right-click your .pkg folder and this should be the place where all necessary files are. After that, you will proceed to click on the option for Show Package Contents. Using this, you will be able to view the files inside the folder.
For Mac OS X, you will also get a handy little tool in the form of an Apple Installer. You can use this in the form of an integrated utility to install and extract the PKG files. And that’s all!
In the end, we hope that at least one of these programs has allowed you to successfully install and extract .pkg files on your Windows device. Once you have the right kind of software, you will see that this is not a particularly difficult process. We hope that our informational guide for today has been good enough to impart all vital details regarding the process!
